Alpha Nox by Jane Doe novel Chapter 8

Nox’s father, the previous Alpha of this pack, waited for us inside his office on the top floor of City Hall.

The retired Alpha Oliver, who had once been like a second father to me, was also the man who had sentenced me to my fate. He’d done so knowing the horror’s the servants of the Lycan Camp faced.

He was going to regret not executing me when he had the chance.

It was our custom to call all retired leaders by the title of Sir or Ma’am. While they were no longer considered the Alpha or Luna, there still had to be a certain degree of respect when addressing them.

Too bad respect was the one thing I didn’t have for Oliver.

“I apologize for arriving late, father. There were a few unexpected hold ups.” Nox said, announcing our presence.

I didn’t miss the way he side-eyed me, making it known I was the one that held us all up.

Nox’s father stood at the window overlooking the town, his hands clasped at his front. It seemed he hadn’t given up his need to look impeccable at all times, because he wore a slate grey suit that looked freshly cleaned and pressed. Not a speck of dust rested on the fabric, but if it had, Oliver would’ve found it.

He turned, and as he did so, I spotted the wisps of grey at his temples, fading into the inky black hair that he and Nox shared.

Oliver and Nox shared many things in common, actually. One of their few differences was their eyes. Where Oliver’s was dark, almost as dark as the thick mop of hair on his head, Nox’s were the same pale blue as his mother’s.

“Lilac.” Nox’s father said with equal parts disdain and contempt.

Did he think I’d cower before him? Did he think I cared how he felt about me?

“Oliver.” I sang his name sweetly. “Or should I call you father-in-law?”

The fine lines etched into the corners of his eyes thinned out in his irritation. To further show how unfazed I was, I proceeded to walk the length of his office, eying the knick-knacks and books he kept in neat little rows upon a wall of built in shelves.

With the flick of my wrist, I spun the sphere of a miniature globe.

“Oliver is fine.” He replied stiffly. The granite in his voice told me that it was in fact not fine, but I didn’t particularly care regardless.

I knew it was not me he was speaking to when he said, “Did she not learn respect at all in those four years under your supervision?”

A little hour glass sat atop a stack of books on one of the shelves. Humming quietly to myself, I flipped the piece over and watched as the sand began to trickle and fall. One by one, the granules hit the bottom of the glass.

Harriet’s raspy voice came next.

“I taught her many lessons, Sir. It seems they didn’t take.”

A chuckle must’ve slipped past my lips because Oliver spoke directly to me.

“Is something amusing to you, Lilac?” The distinct lack of curiosity in his voice showed he also couldn’t care less, but I felt obliged to answer anyway.

“There are many things that are amusing to me.” I replied, stopping my perusing of Oliver’s shelves.

Glancing down at my feet, I couldn’t help but notice the way my beat up sneakers stood out against the expensive Persian rug covering the floor of the office. Jeremy, who had been growing more red-faced by the second, chose this moment to open his mouth.

“This is all just a game to her. You’re wasting your time here.” He said sourly .

“Be that as it may, we have no choice but to participate. As Nox’s fated mate, we need her cooperation if he is to officially step into my position.” Oliver sighed, gesturing to the center of the room. “Let us all be seated. It’s about time we make a deal and see what Lilac here wants.”

What I want your downfall—to see the look on your face as I tear down your pack brick by brick and steal from you the life of your son. That is what I want.

Even as the thought entered my head, bringing the sweetest of smiles to my face, I said nothing. Doing as Oliver instructed just this once, I waltzed over to the large oak table at the center of his office. The circular monstrosity was clearly to host board meetings or some other form of boring event, and had nearly a dozen chairs perched around it’s edges.

I pulled one out and plopped into it, meeting Hakeem’s eyes as he followed suit. When Nox drifted by, I grabbed the empty chair to my left and pulled it out.

“Sit next to me, mate.” I cooed, fluttering my lashes at him.